UN talks head for ‘dead end’

Climate change talks in Montreal were to reach their climax at the end of this week (8-9 December) as international environment ministers joined the United Nations event.

European Voice

12/7/05, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 12:07 PM CET

The talks officially opened on 28 November but initially the work was carried out by lower level government officials.

National positions are apparently already entrenched - and conflicting. Ministers are being handed the task of trying to forge some kind of consensus.

The European Commission arrived hoping to begin talks on a second round Kyoto protocol, setting post-2012 emission reduction targets. Australia rubbished the idea within days.

The US administration has also made it clear it will not sign up to anything binding.

Four US Republican senators on Tuesday (6 December) wrote to President George W. Bush to say his refusal to consider signing up to Kyoto "solely because [it] may include the topic of future binding emissions reductions requirements, is inconsistent with the obligations of the United States as set forth in the [UN climate change] treaty".

Officials in Montreal since last week could be forgiven for being overwhelmed by the amount of information they were given, from World Health Organization warnings that rising temperatures were making hay fever and salmonella rates soar, to protesters claiming global warming will end ice hockey.

Ministers will have their work cut out to drag a happy ending from all the confusion and opposition. Green group Friends of the Earth already seems to have given up hope, pronouncing Europe to be heading for a "dead end" after just over a week of talks.